Tone control apparatus

Abstract

When a signal representing a first set value or more is received from a detecting section, a determination is made whether a boost value is a predetermined value or more. When the boost value is the predetermined value or more, a currently set boost value is reduced by a predetermined step, so that a new boost value is set. Further, when the boost value is less than the predetermined value, a currently set volume level is reduced by a predetermined step, and a new volume level is set. Therefore, in a case when the set boost value is gradually reduced and the boost value is finally less than the predetermined value, the audio signal is still the first set value or more, the volume level is further reduced by each predetermined step. Therefore, an audio signal can be securely prevented from being clipped.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tone control apparatus, comprising:
 a volume adjusting section for adjusting a volume level of an audio signal to a volume level set by a control section; 
 a boost processing section for executing a boost process so that a boost band of the audio signal has a boost value set by the control section; 
 an amplifying section for amplifying the audio signal via the volume adjusting section and the boost processing section; 
 a detecting section for detecting whether the audio signal output from the amplifying section has a first set value or more, and when the audio signal has the first set value or more, outputting a signal representing that the audio signal has the first set value or more to the control section; and 
 the control section for, when receiving the signal representing that the audio signal has the first set value or more from the detecting section, determining whether the set boost value is a predetermined value or more, and when the set boost value is the predetermined value or more, reducing the currently set boost value by a predetermined step so as to set a new boost value, and when the set boost value is less than the predetermined value, reducing the currently set volume level by a predetermined step so as to set a new volume level. 
 
     
     
       2. The tone control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the control section receives the signal representing that the audio signal has the first set value or more from the detecting section continuously for predetermined time, the control section determines whether the set boost value is a predetermined value or more. 
     
     
       3. The tone control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the control section receives the signal representing that the audio signal has the first set value or more from the detecting section, the control section determines whether the set boost value is 0, and when the set boost value is not 0, the control section reduces the currently set boost value by a predetermined step so as to set a new boost value, and when the currently set boost value is 0, reduces the currently volume level by a predetermined step so as to set a new volume level. 
     
     
       4. The tone control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the detecting section further detects whether the audio signal output from the amplifying section has less than a second set value smaller than the first set value, and when the audio signal has less than the second set value, the detecting section outputs a signal representing that the audio signal has less than the second set value to the control section, 
 when the control section receives the signal representing that the audio signal has less than the second set value from the detecting section, the control section determines whether the set boost value is a predetermined value or more, and when the set boost value is the predetermined value or more, the control section reduces the currently set boost value by a predetermined step so as to set a new boost value, and when the set boost value is less than the predetermined value, the control section reduces the currently set volume level by a predetermined step so as to set a new volume level. 
 
     
     
       5. The tone control apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein when the control section receives the signal representing that the audio signal has less than the second set value from the detecting section, the control section determines whether the set boost value is 0, when the set boost value is not 0, the control section reduces the currently set boost value by a predetermined step so as to set new boost value, and when the set boost value is 0, the control section reduces the currently set volume level by a predetermined step so as to set a new volume level. 
     
     
       6. The tone control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the control section reduces the boost value currently set by a user's operation by the predetermined step so as to set the new boost value, the control section stores the boost value set by the user's operation in a storage section, and when the control section reduces the volume level currently set by the user's operation by the predetermined step so as to set the new volume level, the control section stores the volume level set by the user's operation in the storage section, and when the currently input audio signal is not input, the control section brings the boost value and the volume level stored in the storage section back to a setting state. 
     
     
       7. A tone control apparatus, comprising:
 a volume adjusting section for adjusting a volume level of an audio signal to a volume level set by a control section; 
 a boost processing section for executing a boost process so that a boost band of the audio signal has a boost value set by the control section; 
 an amplifying section for amplifying the audio signal via the volume adjusting section and the boost processing section; 
 a detecting section for detecting whether the audio signal output from the amplifying section has less than a second set value, and when the audio signal has less than the second set value, outputting a signal representing that the audio signal has less than the second set value to the control section; and 
 the control section, for when receiving the signal representing that the audio signal has less than the second set value, determining whether the boost value is a predetermined value or more, and when the set boost value is the predetermined value or more, reducing the currently set boost value by a predetermined step so as to set a new boost value, and when the set boost value is less than the predetermined value, reducing the currently set volume level by a predetermined step so as to set a new volume level. 
 
     
     
       8. A tone control apparatus, comprising:
 a volume adjusting section for adjusting a volume level of an audio signal to a volume level set by a control section; 
 a boost processing section for executing a boost process so that a boost band of the audio signal has a boost value set by the control section; 
 an amplifying section for amplifying the audio signal via the volume adjusting section and the boost processing section; 
 a detecting section for detecting whether the audio signal output from the amplifying section has a first set value or more, and when the audio signal has the first set value or more, outputting a signal representing that the audio signal has the first set value or more to the control section; and 
 the control section for, when receiving the signal representing that the audio signal has the first set value or more, determining whether the set boost value is 0, and when the set boost value is not 0, reducing the currently set boost value by a predetermined step so as to set a new boost value, and when the set boost value is 0, reducing the currently set volume level by a predetermined step so as to set a new volume level.